I've Told You Now
by veritas-always
Summary: "So, what? You just couldn't handle my attention being on someone else so you had to go out of your way to sabotage my chance with a nice guy?" An AU take on Den of Thieves in which Castle tells Demming that he and Kate do actually have something going on.
1. never love you like i can

_There really needs to be more stories where Castle tells Demming that yes, in fact, there is something going on between he and Beckett._

* * *

_2x21 - Den of Thieves_

* * *

"Castle, can I ask you something? You and Beckett, is there, uh, something going on?"

"Me and Beckett?"

"Yeah."

Castle stares at the robbery detective who Kate Beckett has seemed to take a vast interest in over the course of this case. He doesn't like it. Really does not like the way she looks at Demming, because he thought that running into a burning building to find her, shooting at a serial killer freakishly fixated on her, or hell, even laying down a hundred grand for just a _shot _at finding her mother's killer would have tipped her off that she's not just a conquest. Someone he can love and leave. She hasn't been that in a long time. Not since she told him about her mother's murder, when she let him see what really makes Kate tick.

No, she's much more now. So much more.

So Castle makes an impulse decision, probably a stupid one at that. His brain is screaming _she's going to kill you_, but he ignores it. He's not losing his chance with her. Sorry, Demming.

"Yeah, actually," he answers, hides his smug smile when the detective's shoulders slump. "But we're trying to keep it quiet, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, yeah," Demming says, nodding. "I hope I didn't cross a line-"

"No, not at all. Thanks," Castle says, giving the detective a false smile. He's gotta admit, he respects the guy for asking. He also wonders what it says about he and Kate that the detective thinks there actually _is _something going on with the two of them.

"Sure. Not a problem," Demming says, standing up and shaking his hand as he leaves the room.

* * *

The entire case passes and Castle watches Demming carefully avoid Kate. He sees the growing confusion in her eyes, the questions. He wants to say he feels bad, because he _knows _she's interested in the robbery detective, but he really just can't.

He's trying to find her when he spots she and Demming talking in the break room. She's smiling softly, and then her expression completely changes and she doesn't say anything when the detective says goodbye.

Demming leaves her standing there alone and her eyes follow him as he strides towards the elevator to go back to the robbery floor. Castle watches the man leave for a second, eyes flicking back to Kate's.

Oh.

_Oh._

She's glaring at him, all anger and confusion and she even looks a little hurt. He's sorry for that, didn't mean to hurt her, but she's just got to give him a minute to explain-

She's coming towards him. He's a dead man. She's _pissed_.

She pokes him in the chest - _ow, Beckett_ \- and is already firing questions at him.

"What the _hell_, Castle?"

"Kate, you've got to let me explain-"

"Yeah, you're damn right you've got to-"

"But not here. Can we go to the loft? Please?"

She huffs, brushes past him with a _fine _and he thinks he hears her mutter that she'll get away with murder a hell of a lot easier when they're not surrounded by cops anyways. He tries not to grin, but she's so hot when she's mad at him. Reminds him of when they first started working together and he would do everything he could to get her riled up.

He's still standing there when she grabs his sleeve and drags him to the elevator, not gently either. They climb into her Crown Vic and she doesn't speak to him the whole way home.

* * *

They get to the loft and she stalks into his office, knows he'll follow anyways. He shuts the door behind him, barely has time to take a breath before she's on him again.

"What did you tell him?"

"Nothing!" he exclaims, which is stupid, because she obviously knows he did if her eyebrows shooting up is any indication. "Okay, fine. He may have asked if there was anything going on between me and you."

"And you said…" she prompts, waving her hands for him to continue.

He laughs lightly, humorless, because yep, she's going to kill him. Probably strangle him, because shooting him is a little too impersonal. She'll want him to suffer, he's sure of it.

"I, uh, may have told him yes?" It comes out as a question rather than a statement and he winces.

"Are you out of your _mind_?" She scrapes her fingers through her hair. He wants to run his hands through the strands instead. "So, what? You just couldn't handle my attention being on someone else so you had to go out of your way to sabotage my chance with a nice guy?"

He takes a step back at her words. He expected her to be mad, to threaten to shoot him at least, but he didn't expect _that_.

"Is that what you actually think?"

"What am I supposed to think?" she retorts, crossing her arms over chest.

"I don't know, Kate," he bites back, voice dark and full of venom, "I thought maybe after you almost died twice, after I ran into a _burning building_ for you, you might see me as more than a womanizer trying to get into your pants-"

"Rick, I don't-"

"Then what?"

She's on him in an instant then, grabbing his face and pressing a bruising kiss to his mouth, breaking past the barrier of his lips with her tongue and_ jesus_, Kate. He grabs her hips, driving her lower body into his and she gasps, breaking the kiss, but not going far.

She opens her eyes slowly, air coming out in short erratic breaths. His thumbs find their way onto her bare skin, rubbing the sharp angle of her hip bones lightly.

He drops his forehead to hers, waiting for her to push him away and tell him that the kiss was a mistake and they shouldn't have, but she doesn't. She presses her soft, pink lips to his again.

"I don't think that of you," she says softly, pulling her face away to look him in the eye. "I just- it's hard to believe that someone like you would want to be with someone like me."

"Someone like you?" he questions, because _what_? She's- well, she's Kate Beckett.

"You're a bestselling writer and I'm just a cop," she says, letting out a small huff of laughter. "Not exactly the kind of people who end up together."

"You're extraordinary, Kate," he says. How could she think any less? How could she think he would _want _anything less? "I think we fit quite well together."

She kisses him for that, a slow, passionate thing that she's beginning to find she already loves.

He breaks it first and says, "So… next time someone asks if there's anything going on between us-"

"Yes," she whispers against his mouth, pulling him to his bedroom, "Yes, always."

* * *

_This was cheesy. But I really want more stories like this out there. Had to throw the word "always" in there because that word is like a promise between them and how could I not? _

_I got the title of this story from Sam Smith's song titled the same thing. It's really beautiful, give it - and all his other music - a listen. (Also can I just fangirl for a second because Nathan introduced Sam Smith at the AMA's tonight and tweeted about Taylor Swift's speech and he flipping thanked One Direction too omg kfhaskjdhf) _

_Lastly, I really appreciate any feedback. Thanks for reading!_


	2. darling, stay with me

_So I realized that I didn't mark this story complete when I first posted it. (I meant to. Whoops.) And then I was like, well, actually that's okay. I'm continuing it, because I've been thinking about writing a story where they're actually a couple for both seasons 3 and 4 anyways, and this allows me to do just that. _

_Skipping ahead a few episodes now._

_Thank you for not only all the wonderful feedback but for also following along this journey with me!_

* * *

_2x24 - A Deadly Game_

* * *

"It's kind of like a tradition. Bonfires, roasting marshmallows, telling ghost stories, sleeping late. We've done it since she was five."

"Sounds nice," Kate says, giving him a shy smile. "Kind of magical, actually."

His eyes light up. He considered inviting her, he really did, but he wasn't sure if it was too soon to whisk her away to the Hamptons. Not only that, but she has to work. But with the way she's looking at him now, all coy and hinting, he thinks she might actually _want _to go. Montgomery wouldn't mind giving her some time off, right?

"You know what? You should come," Castle tells her, nearly bouncing on his toes with excitement. "It's right on the ocean, there's a secluded pool. You could lay out, work on your tan."

"You just want to see me in a swimsuit," she replies easily, quirking an eyebrow up at him.

"If you're not comfortable in a swimsuit you can just skinny dip," he retorts, then lowering his voice as they near the crime scene, "Nothing I haven't seen before."

She bites the inside of her cheek, trying not to smile. Her face is flaming, because the thought of skinny dipping with him under the stars-

Yeah. Okay.

Work now, fantasizing later.

* * *

Kate is just getting off the phone when Castle sets down his cell with a picture of the beach and a cup of coffee on her desk.

"Ocean view from my patio," he tells her, dropping down into his chair. "It does not get better than this."

She picks up the phone, admiring the view as she pretends to ponder his offer. She glances at him, has to hold in her grin. He's staring at her, chin in his hand, eyes wide with anticipation. Adorable.

"Okay," she says, sliding the phone back to him.

"Okay? Okay as in yes?"

"Let me talk to Montgomery about getting the weekend off, but yeah."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"I so wish I could kiss you right now," he says in a soft voice so nobody around them can hear.

She bites her lip, takes a deep breath, and gets them back on track with the case. The faster it's solved, the faster they can get to the Hamptons.

* * *

It's late by the time the case is closed, but not too late to drive to his house and get a head start on their weekend at the beach. They part ways on the main floor at the precinct, Castle promising to pick her up in half an hour.

When Kate gets home she double checks that she has everything she needs packed into her duffel bag before changing out of her work clothes into something a little more comfortable for the drive.

The boys are suspicious. They've been bothering her all week about where she's going and more importantly _who _she's going with. They asked if it was Demming multiple times, didn't notice Castle's eye rolls whenever the robbery detective's name was brought up.

Kate wants to tell them, but she also wants to keep things private for now, wants to bask in the newness of she and Castle's relationship before they tell people. After that it's only a matter of time before the media finds out, and they both would like to delay that for as long as possible.

There's a knock on her door and Kate has to tame down her beaming smile when she answers it. He gives her a quick peck on the lips before slipping into her apartment.

"Shall we?" he asks, already hoisting her bag onto his shoulder like a true gentleman, holding out his other arm for her to take.

"We shall." She laces her arm through his after she shuts and locks her door.

"So, Castle," Kate starts when he climbs into the driver's seat after putting her bag in the trunk of his Mercedes, "What do you have planned for me this weekend?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."

"You know, I really don't like surprises."

He just smiles in reply, doesn't give anything away, sliding his hand across the middle console onto her thigh as they weave through the late New York traffic. Kate laces their fingers together atop her leg, relaxing into her seat. He fiddles with the radio station, stopping on an old classics one. Pearl Jam filters through the speakers, lulling her into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

Over two hours later they're pulling into his drive. Rick gently untangles their fingers, stepping out of the car. He opens her door and leans down, rubbing his hand up and down her shoulder.

"Kate," he speaks softly, "Hey. We're here."

Her eyes open and find his easily.

"Hi," she whispers, unbuckling her seatbelt. She climbs out of the car, taking in the large house looming over them in the dark. There are some lights left on from when the housekeeper came and stocked it with food today, casting a soft glow across the property, absolutely breathtaking against the starry sky. "Wow, Castle. This is… wow."

He presses a kiss to her temple, rounding the car to grab their bags.

"Just wait until you see the inside."

* * *

_This is pretty short and sweet. The next chapter will be more, but I wanted to get something up for you guys._


	3. wrapped up in your touch

_Hi, everybody! Quick update from me this time around. I really hope you enjoy it, because I am quite fond of this chapter myself. _

* * *

Kate wakes the next morning from a heavy, deep sleep she feels like she hasn't gotten in years. She squints against the light streaming in through the windows. His master bedroom in the Hamptons is so much brighter than in Manhattan, no buildings to obstruct the sunlight. She turns over only to find the bed empty in the same moment she smells coffee.

She rolls out of the king-sized bed, pulling on a robe that he must have laid out for her. When she walks down the steps, she sees him wearing a matching navy blue one and smiles. He's making waffles, already has fruit and syrup laid out on the table. Sweet, sweet man.

"Hey," she says, alerting him of her presence. He flips the waffle maker over, leaving the batter in it to warm, crossing the kitchen to get to her.

"Good morning," he replies, pulling her into his tight embrace. She huffs a laugh into his chest, arms winding their way around his next as she presses a chaste kiss to his mouth.

"Matching robes, huh?" She quirks an eyebrow up at him, can't resist teasing him about something so adorably _cheesy_.

"You're wearing it, aren't you?" he retorts easily, probably expected a jab or two about it. She rolls her eyes, lets him kiss her again.

"What time is it?" she asks as he releases her to tend to their breakfast.

"About nine," he replies, flipping the waffle maker off and carrying the stack to the table. She sits across from him, loves that everything between them is just so easy. It's something she didn't expect, spent so much time worrying about before they ever got together.

He's so kindhearted, and in the month that they've been together she has yet to feel like his attention is anywhere else. She always wondered if he would get bored when he saw the next hot thing. Much like she felt when Jordan Shaw helped them on the Scott Dunn case, or when Ellie Monroe crossed his path. But he hasn't once made her feel like she's anything less than extraordinary to him.

"You okay?" he asks, bringing her back to the present. She smiles, reaches across the table for his hand.

"Of course. Thank you."

His brow furrows, hand holding hers a little tighter. "What for?"

"For bringing me out here. And just- being you," she tells him honestly, thinks maybe he should know how much she appreciates him, especially with everything he does to let her know how much he cares all the time.

He smiles, eyes crinkling, and she knows she did the right thing. She gives his hand a squeeze before letting go to retrieve a waffle. He doesn't say anything, just gathers up his own waffles, but when she looks up at him a minute later, he's still grinning.

She helps him do the dishes after breakfast. She washes, he dries. It's so domestic. Kate leans against the counter as he finishes putting the last of the silverware away.

"What are we doing today?" she asks.

"I was thinking," he begins, pulling her with him up to the master suite, "We can get our swimsuits on and relax down at the pool. The ocean's going to be freezing, but the pool's heated. And later we can make a nice dinner, eat on the patio if you'd like?"

She kisses him in reply, pulling away when their matching grins make it impossible to do it properly.

"I'll take that as a yes," he says, eyes twinkling. "I'm gonna change."

She nods, watches him make his way into the bathroom, sitting on the bed while she waits for him to change. She's wearing nothing under her robe and doesn't intend on changing that, but he doesn't need to know quite yet. He steps out of the bathroom a minute later, holding his hand out for her to take, leading them out to the pool.

He opens the gate for her while saying, "I'm sure you will find the temperature suitable, but if you would like it any warmer, I could change the temperature or- I could just… stop talking." Her robe is at her feet and his eyes light up. "You forgot your suit," he says, giving her a coy smile.

"I know," she whispers, smiling at him.

He pulls her naked body to his, hands splayed across her bare back, creating goosebumps in their wake.

"I think you're a little overdressed," she says, eyeing him through her lashes. He catches her off-guard then, picking her up in his arms bridal style. She knows exactly what he plans on doing when he starts walking them to the pool. "Castle!" she exclaims, clamping her arms around his neck so he can't toss her in. She squeals when they get closer, burying her face in his neck.

He's laughing, holding her tightly so she doesn't fall out of his arms with all of the squirming she's doing.

"What's wrong, Beckett?"

"Rick!" she says his name on a laugh, "Please. Please? Don't be mean!"

"You're begging me now?" he asks, standing on the edge of the pool with her curled up in his arms, holding onto him tightly. She's giggling, _giggling_, and it's just so adorable that he can't throw her in the pool. He gently sets her down, her arms clasped tightly around his neck until her feet are firmly planted on the cement.

He slides his own robe off, about to pull off his swim trunks when she shoves him into the deep end. He comes up for air just as she jumps in, splashing him in the process. He swims towards her, catching her when she's above the surface again, swimming them towards the wall of the pool.

"Katherine Beckett!" he exclaims above her laughter, "I can't believe you just pushed me in!"

"You were going to do it to me!" she whines like a little kid, back hitting the wall with a soft thud.

"But I didn't," he says.

She wraps her legs around his waist, pulling his lower body into hers, eyes telling him that she knows exactly what she's doing to him.

"Forgive me?" she pouts, so unlike her usual self. He kisses her fiercely, pulling her bottom lip in between his teeth. She lets out a soft moan, pulling his swim trunks off of his hips impatiently.

She's forgiven.

* * *

They spend the day in the pool, showering together afterwards. They prepare dinner together; steak, potatoes, and bacon-wrapped asparagus. It's delicious. After they've finished eating, Rick pulls two blankets out of the basket by the back door, tugging on Kate's hand.

"Where are we going?" she asks, smiling as he drags her away from the house.

"The beach!" he exclaims. She follows him down to the sand, shivering as a chill sets in as nighttime envelopes the coast. He lays one blanket out across the sand, gesturing for Kate to settle in on it. She sits down, waits for him to join her.

Rick plops down next to her, laying back, and he pulls her down with him so her head is resting on his chest. She shivers again, so he pulls the second blanket on top of them, pulling her body closer to his.

"What are we doing down here?" she asks him.

"Look up," he tells her softly.

Her eyes meet the horizon, going up and up.

There's stars. Millions of little twinkling lights. Her eyes flick to one, then the next, each seeming brighter than the first. She forgets about them a lot in the city, the tall buildings and neon lights dimming outer-space.

"It's so beautiful," she says, so quietly she doesn't think he heard her.

His voice comes a minute later. "It is."

She shifts her head to rest her chin over his heartbeat, finds his eyes on her, not the sky, and she knows - knows that this could very well be it for both of them. She can't remember ever feeling so special in someone's eyes.

She knows there will be fights, still walls to finish breaking down, for her _and _for him. It won't be a walk in the park, but for now in the Hamptons with the starlight and seawater crashing onto the shore below them, she isn't afraid of it.

* * *

_I really, really hope you liked this chapter! I would love to read any comments or critique you have to offer. _

_And just so you guys know, this story is not going to be all rainbows and butterflies. I intend on writing season three and four as if Kate and Rick are a couple. That includes the good, the bad, and the ugly._

_Lastly, just because it's fun and the title of this story was inspired by Sam Smith, every chapter is titled after a line from his songs. Fun fact of the day._

_Thanks for sticking with me!_


	4. yes i do believe

_Skipping the season 3 premiere, because that episode was all about Rick trying to get back on Kate's team. Doesn't really work with my story._

* * *

_3x02 - He's Dead, She's Dead_

* * *

Rick has been at the Hamptons for a majority of the summer. Gina was harassing him about the book, so he decided to stay up at his beach house and write. He came back to the city every two weeks or so, because it was easier for him to do that than for Kate to drive to him.

She came up for the Fourth of July. Alexis joined them that weekend. He was so pleased to see his girlfriend and daughter form a bond that Alexis hadn't had with his past girlfriends. They spent most of their time at the beach or the pool. One night they made a fire on the sand, his two girls making s'mores and laughing at him while he was (attempting to) light off fireworks a few yards closer to the water.

Kate headed back to the city after that weekend, but with Alexis's Princeton summer program over, he wanted to spend some time with his little girl. They stayed in the Hamptons for three more weeks.

When he got back to the city, he had commitments to Black Pawn to do some publicity for Naked Heat, thus he couldn't shadow Kate at the precinct. It was fine, because they spent plenty of time together outside of it, but he missed it, missed helping her solve cases, and he missed Ryan and Esposito. She told him to come back after his book was released.

She called him about thirty minutes ago letting him know that there's been a murder. It's near one of his favorite coffee shops, so he tells her to meet him there. They haven't seen each other in a few days and he wants to have some time with her before they have to act professional around her colleagues, even if it is only a mere fifteen minutes alone.

When he walks into the shop he finds her already in line, talking to a man he's ever seen before. He approaches them, hears the tall stranger tell her he's a cardiac surgeon._  
_

Her gaze meets Rick's eyes, smile growing. He takes his place by her side, fingers tangling with hers. _Not _staking his claim on her, but when he sees the doctor's eyebrows raise in surprise it is a little rewarding.

"Hey," she greets him, squeezing his hand gently. She turns back to the surgeon, "It was nice talking to you, Josh."

And then she's tugging him to face the front of the line, but not before Rick sees - Josh? - scowl. His chest puffs out in pride because Kate's _his_ and she has no problem making sure people know she's taken.

Well, except for at work, but that's different than a stranger hitting on her in public.

He looks at her, smug grin on his face, but she just gives him a subtle shake of the head, stepping closer into his side.

He orders their coffee and steps aside with her to wait for their drinks. He sees Josh glance over at Kate, knows that she is completely clueless. He has to tamper down his grin. He will admit though, seeing her talking to another man who is clearly interested in her sparks up some of what Demming did. It makes him want to put a ring on her finger so they _know_ she's-

Whoa. Ring? Where did that come from?

They've only been together for five months.

He can't dwell on his thoughts any further when the barista hands him their drinks. Kate takes hers with a grateful smile, heading for the door. She breezes past her cruiser, so he follows, has no problem walking to their crime scene.

"_Josh_, hm? Cardiac surgeon. Impressive," he says, trying to play it cool.

She rolls her eyes at him, smiling at the little green monster that he just can't hide. Not when it comes to her.

"It is," she agrees. "Not my type, though. I'll stick to mystery writers."

Her shoulder bumps his, eyes dancing. He sees the uniforms standing out in front of a building down the block from them, they're dangerously close to the crime scene, but he can't help it. He pulls her into his chest, pressing a smacking kiss to her cheek.

She laughs, pulling away from him, but not before she meets his lips for a quick peck.

* * *

Later that night, they're on their way to his place when he blurts, "My mother got proposed to."

"What?" Kate pulls her eyes away from the road to stare at him.

"Yep," he confirms.

"When?"

"Last night."

"And she said yes?"

"Ah- no. Told Chet she would think about it."

Kate laughs, asks, "Why? I thought she loved Chet."

"She does. She just said that the magic is gone."

"That's valid," Kate tells him, pulling into a spot close to his building. "Let's go see if she's made up her mind."

When they enter the loft, his mother and Alexis are sitting by the coffee table setting up a ouija board. He takes Kate's coat for her, watches her walk into his living room and greet his family.

He grabs two beers for them, handing one to his girlfriend. He pulls her down with him on the floor, has to hold in his laughter when Kate shakes her head as his daughter attempts to summon spirits. When nothing happens, his mother groans.

"This thing must be broken," Martha says. "Well luckily, I don't need the spirits to tell me when it's time to say goodbye. Bye, my love," she tells rock on her finger. Kate laughs into the neck of her beer bottle, raising an eyebrow at him for his mother's dramatics. He just shrugs, grinning.

"What if you're being too hasty?" Alexis asks, "Relationships take work, right?"

"No, no, no," Martha says, "Love is not about work. Trust me, it's about passion, it's about chemistry, _romance_," she tells her granddaughter, gesturing to Kate and Rick for example.

"It's about your heart pounding faster because you can't wait to see her," Rick tells his daughter, pulling Kate closer to him.

"That's true," his girlfriend agrees, leaning into his side. Martha and Alexis smile at them softly.

"I'm sorry," Martha tells Alexis, "It's just- it's over. I know it."

His little girl looks so dejected that Rick has to intervene and lighten the mood.

"Mother, you could always go to a psychic and find out your fate."

Kate pinches him in the side, glaring at him. "That's all fake."

"Kate's not a believer," he announces to his family.

"What?" his daughter exclaims, blue eyes wide. "You've gotta believe there's some people out there who can actually see the future and talk to spirits."

"I'm sorry," Kate says, shrugging.

"She doesn't even believe in fate or soul-mates," Rick stage-whispers.

"Oh, darling, what about you and Richard, hm? Don't you think you two would have found your way to each other eventually if you hadn't met the way you had?" Martha asks.

"I would like to hope that we would, but really, without those murders modeled after his books, how would we have even met?" she ponders, looking at Rick.

"Fate is fate," he says after a moment of thought, "Don't question the universe."

She laughs, shaking her head at him. They spend a little while longer talking before they all call it a night.

Kate slides into the king size bed beside him, curling into his side. She drapes an arm over his chest, hand grasping at the fabric of his t-shirt, his arm cradling her wordlessly.

"Have you ever ended a relationship because the magic is gone?" he asks after a few minutes of silence.

"No," she says. "But I think if Will hadn't moved to Boston, we probably would have ended anyways. It was an average relationship, you know? What I felt like I needed at the time. But now I see that it wouldn't have been enough. What about you?"

"Gina," he states, "Aside from the fact that we fought all the time, she was just all work. No play."

"So I've seen," Kate says, referring back to when Gina called her to check up on Rick's novel before they went to the Hamptons for Memorial Day.

"I'm glad we're not," he says quietly. "We're not boring. Don't think I'll ever get bored with you."

She smiles widely. He can feel the upturn of her lips on his chest more than see it. She extends her neck to kiss him soundly, rolling them so he's hovering above her.

"No," she tells him, removing her sleep shirt, arches into his fingertips as they bump over her ribcage, "Never boring."

* * *

Kate hears a knock on her door three nights later. She swings it open to find Rick on the other side, still dressed in what he wore to Chet's funeral earlier.

"Hey," she greets, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before pulling him inside. "How'd the funeral go? How's Martha?"

"She's handling it rather well. And her speech was wonderful if I do say so myself."

"That's because you wrote it," Kate says dryly, picking up the Italian takeout menu she was looking at before he showed up. "But I'm glad she's okay. You hungry?"

"Starving," he replies. He stands behind her, bracketing her against the counter so he can read the menu over her shoulder.

"What do you want?" she asks, pulling out her cell phone to order. After she orders dinner for them, she pulls down two wine glasses from the cupboard, filling them halfway. He thanks her when she hands him one, leading him to the couch.

"Penny said the strangest thing to me yesterday," she tells him, brows furrowed.

"What did she say?"

"She said she has a little bit of what her mom does. She had a dream about me and brought up someone named Alexander."

He perks up at that. "Alexander?"

"Yeah. Except I don't know any Alexanders."

"What did she say about him?"

"That he will be very important to me and might save my life in the near future." He's smiling and she just becomes even more confused. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"My middle name is Alexander," he tells her softly.

"I thought your middle name was Edgar."

"No, no. I changed my middle name to Edgar after Edgar Allen Poe when I changed my last name to Castle. My given name is Richard Alexander Rodgers. Still don't believe in fate?" he asks, eyes alight with something she might almost go as far as to call love.

Kate ducks her head, a small smile on her face. She might not believe in psychics or mediums, but this case has definitely opened her eyes to the possibility of magic and, yes, even fate.

* * *

_Can I just say that my inbox has been seriously overflowing with alerts for this story? I'm so pleasantly surprised. Thank you to everybody who wants to come back and read every new chapter I post. It keeps me going, it really does._

__Expect a little bit of angst in the next chapter. I'm looking forward to that one.__


	5. so much to get off my chest

_3x03 - Under The Gun_

* * *

She's arresting Royce and Rick sees the pain flash across her face as she slaps the cuffs on him, the furrow in her brow. He feels for her because she's hurt and betrayed, but so is he. When Kate took her training officer out for drinks, she said it was just as friends to catch up. That's it. But then he heard her on the phone with Royce after she discovered his betrayal.

_Mike. I was in love with you._

Rick won't bring it up. Not yet at least. Won't bring up the fact that she told him she feels nothing for Royce when she gave her TO the words that Rick has been yearning for. Granted, he hasn't told Kate he loves her either, but he's been tossing the words back and forth in his brain for at least a month, finding subtle ways to ease variations of the three words into his vocabulary when he's talking to her.

He hasn't said them because he's afraid it's too soon, but now that he heard her tell another man she loves him he needs to get them out, needs some sort of confirmation that she's with him now _and_ for the long run, because his heart is in too deep. There's no turning back.

He doesn't bring it up until they're back at his place. She's curled up beside him in bed, wet hair soaking through his t-shirt from their shower to wash all the dirt from their treasure hunt away.

"Kate?"

"What?" she mumbles. He sits up, hears her grunt as she brushes her hair off of her face and stares at him through heavy eyelids. "I was almost asleep," she all but whines.

"I'm sorry. I just- I need to talk to you."

He watches her yawn in the moonlight, leaning over to turn on a bedside lamp and blinking away the unfamiliar light.

"What is it?" she asks softly.

"You told Royce you love him."

"It was to get a trace-"

"Kate. The boys got the trace about thirty seconds before you said that and you know it. You told him you love him. But when I asked about you two going out for drinks you told me that he's just a friend and it means nothing."

"It _does _mean nothing to him. Doesn't matter."

"To him?" Rick asks, brow furrowing. "What about you? What did it mean to _you_?" She hesitates so he asks, "What if it did mean something to him? Then what, Kate?"

"What do you mean _then what_?"

"What about me?"

"What _about_ you? What do you mean, Rick?"

"You love Royce, and if he felt that too, where would that leave me?"

"It wouldn't change anything," she tells him, eyes a little wide. "You really think that I would just up and leave, no questions asked?"

"No. I don't know," he says honestly. Her shoulders slump and she looks away, biting her lip. "I love you," he blurts. "That's why I'm bringing this up. I love you and I need you to know that."

She's on him in an instant, dropping a leg over his lap so she's straddling him, mouths fused together.

"I love you, Castle," she says, foreheads pressed together, eyes shut. "More than anybody else. I wouldn't do that to you. Okay? I promise. I'm in this."

He sighs, pressing his lips to hers again before pulling away to look her in the eye. She grins at him, and all of the tension he's felt from the arrival of her training officer has disappeared.

* * *

The next morning, he wakes up completely sated. Kate's dragging her fingernails up and down his chest slowly, a habit she picked up early on, finding it one of the easiest ways to wake him. His eyes stay shut, but he grabs her hand, tangling their fingers. She chuckles, smudging their lips together.

That makes him peek his eyes open, finding her face hovering above his. She gives him a sweet smile.

"I've got plans for us today," she says.

"Plans?"

"Mhm."

"What kind of plans?" he asks on a smirk, hands wandering under the sheets, finding her breasts, and then lower.

She swats him away.

"Not _those _kind of plans. C'mon, get up and get dressed."

"Beckett," he whines. "_Kate_."

"Uh-uh, get up. The faster you get ready the sooner you'll find out."

He groans, climbing out of bed. She's right behind him, goes for the closet where a lot of her wardrobe has migrated to, but he pulls her into his embrace, lips finding her neck.

"I think we need another shower," he mumbles against her skin. "Just to make sure we got all the dirt off."

She rolls her eyes at him, about to tell him no, when he squeezes her behind, pulling her lower half against his. She lets out a soft gasp, pressing her lips to his.

"You might be right," she whispers, pulling him towards the bathroom instead.

* * *

Almost an hour later they're climbing into a cab. Kate manages to give the driver the address before Rick climbs in. The drive is quiet, his large hand enveloping hers. He's still buzzing with energy, eyes watching the city pass by.

The taxi pulls up to the curb and she sees his brow furrow. He looks at her in confusion, but she just nudges him onto the sidewalk, handing some money to the cab driver before following.

"Uh, Beckett? This is your building."

"I know," she tells him, taking his hand and pulling him inside.

"This is your surprise?" he asks, when they get into the elevator.

"You'll see."

She unlocks the door to her unit, telling him to wait in the living room. When she comes back out with two motorcycle helmets, his eyes widen.

"Kate?"

"Want to go on a ride?"

"Yes!" he exclaims, taking a helmet from her. He pulls her in for a tight hug, almost knocking her down. She laughs, wrapping her arms around him to keep them from tumbling over. "Love you," he tells her.

She pulls back and presses her lips to his. "Love you back."

* * *

_I wrote and re-wrote this at least five times and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. Sorry it's been a while since my last update. I went home for winter break and between seeing all my family and friends, I had an internship. It was a pretty busy month. I just got back to school last night. Updates should be more frequent (hopefully). I really appreciate all of your reviews, follows, and favorites though. So thank you for sticking with me._


	6. got you shackled in my embrace

_I'm so sorry for how long this chapter took__. It's short, so I apologize for that too. This story has been giving me trouble. Also, this semester has seriously been wiping me out. Thank you all for being so wonderful and patient. Your kind words and encouragement mean the world to me. I hope to try and update more frequently now. You can follow me on tumblr for prompt fills at __veritas-always. Those are more frequent than these chapters, unfortunately. Thank you again. Here's to you._

* * *

_3x06 - 3XK_

* * *

She's just climbing into her cruiser when her phone starts buzzing in her pocket. She fishes it out, sees Martha's name on the screen.

"Hello?"

"Oh, Katherine," the older woman breathes into the line, "Thank god."

"Martha? Is everything alright?"

"I think something's happened. I just got off of the phone with Richard and he- he said he loved me. I don't know for sure, but-"

"Oh no," Kate cuts her off, starting her engine and speeding out of her parking spot, "I'm on my way to him right now, okay?"

"Okay. Just- get my son home safely."

"Of course, Martha."

"Thank you, kiddo."

Kate hangs up with his mother, calling Esposito and telling him to meet her at the motel with back up.

When she gets there she barely has her car in park before she's jumping out, sprinting up the stairs to her partner. She kicks the door open, registers Esposito only ten steps behind her in her peripheral, but she only has one person on her mind.

"Castle!" she shouts just as her flashlight lands on him.

"Clear, he's gone," he says, and _god_, she's never been so happy to see him. "I'm fine. Ryan needs an ambulance."

A faint _no, I don't_ comes from the corner, but Esposito's in the room, he's got Ryan. She focuses on unbinding Rick's hands, and then she pulls him up, clinging to his body in a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she tells him, the sound a little bit muffled by his jacket. He squeezes her tightly, burying his face in her hair.

"Me too," he tells her. She presses a kiss to his lips, just needs the reassurance that he's really okay.

"Now I know I got knocked out, but I'm definitely not imagining this."

The sound of Ryan's voice cuts their kiss short. Kate turns slowly, finds both of her boys with their arms crossed, eyebrows raised.

"So," Esposito hedges, looking she and Rick up and down, "Something you'd like to share with the class?"

"We were going to tell you," Kate starts, but they're both already shaking their heads.

"Nope, the damage has been done."

But then they're grinning, pulling the couple into a round of hugs, and Kate lets out a breath of laughter.

"We're happy for you," Ryan says, giving her a reassuring smile. She glances at Rick, sees his eyes alight with love and joy and she's seriously _so glad _that he's okay.

"Thanks, guys," she says sincerely. "Now go, there's an ambulance downstairs."

Ryan sighs, but goes anyways, his partner right behind him.

"Cat's out of the bag," Rick says. She shrugs, pulls him into another hug.

"It's okay. Was gonna happen eventually."

* * *

She takes him home not long after their talk by the pool. She really hates that he feels so guilty over something that he couldn't have even stopped. He was literally at the hands of a serial killer, has no cop training, or even one logical reason why he should be put into a situation like that in the first place. He's just a writer. God, and she's his partner. She should have had his back, should have seen this sickening twist sooner. If she had, maybe she could have stopped him from knowing what it's like to be overwhelmed with a tiring sense of injustice when a killer gets away.

"I can hear you thinking from over here," he murmurs from the passenger seat. She drags her eyes away from the road, meeting his for a moment. He's studying her, but what's new?

"Sorry," she tells him softly, sliding her hand onto his thigh and giving it a squeeze.

"You know that it's not your fault any of this happened tonight, right?"

She almost bites out a hasty response, but she doesn't. Instead she just bites her lip and keeps quiet, because she feels like she could have stopped it. Just like he does, too.

"You shouldn't be put in these situations," Kate finally says. "You're not a cop. Being tied to a chair by a serial killer was not anywhere in that paperwork you signed at the beginning of this, Rick."

"Well, it kind of was in the paperwork, just maybe not those specific terms." She throws a glare his way, doesn't want to make light of this. "I knew what I was getting myself into. Nothing you say is going to change the fact that I'm your partner and it's staying that way."

"I just- you have a _daughter_, and if something happens to you-"

"And I have _you _too. Like it or not, I'm not quitting."

She huffs out a sigh and swings her car into a parking spot just the block down from his building.

"I don't want you to quit," she says softly, "I just don't want something to happen to you because I wasn't there to protect you."

"Ditto," he tells her. She reaches a hand out and brushes her fingers across his cheek, smoothing out the worry lines embedded into his skin.

"Come on, let's go see your family."


End file.
